InsideAuto Podcast

Dave Warren is the Owner and Managing Partner at Dave Warren Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in New York. He has 30 years of experience in the retail automotive space specializing in advertising, budgeting, inventory management, leadership, and marketing. Dave is also the Owner of Argo of Westfield, which offers ATVs, XTVs, and UTVs, Bintelli of Westfield, selling street legal electric vehicles, and Krown of Westfield, providing vehicle rust protection services. 

In this episode…

What can car dealerships expect from the market in 2023? How can you adapt to changing market conditions?

The used car market has experienced many changes over the last couple of years. There has been an increase in competition, a shortage of inventory, and changing consumer preferences. To stay ahead of the curve and drive sales, it’s essential that dealerships implement more efficient marketing strategies, remain agile, and provide valuable customer experiences. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by Dave Warren, the Owner and Managing Partner at Dave Warren Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, to talk about how he adapts his dealership to the fluctuating market. They also discuss future projections for the used car market and how to get salespeople more engaged in driving used car sales.

Daniel Govaer, General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Easton, is a seasoned manager in the auto retail space. Before joining Mercedes-Benz of Easton, he worked for Bernie Moreno Companies, McGrath Acura of Downtown Chicago, and Libertyville Toyota to name a few. 

In this episode…

Do you invest in your employees' mental well-being? What can you do to promote better work relationships between employees and management?

Mental health is crucial when running a business. To support his company, Daniel Govaer encourages his team at Mercedes-Benz of Easton to take advantage of professional help from BetterHelp, covered by his company. This has led to better relationships, a stronger company culture, and improved work performance. 

Daniel Govaer, General Manager at Mercedes-Benz of Easton, joins Ilana Shabtay in this episode of the InsideAuto podcast, to talk about the benefits of investing in your employees' mental health. They also discuss top marketing strategies for 2023 and the future of the automotive industry.

Michael Cirillo is the Co-founder and CEO of FlexDealer, a company that helps retail auto dealers turn traffic into revenue with strategies and technologies that lead to car purchases. He has many years of experience in the retail automotive industry and is the author of Don't Wait, DOMINATE!. Michael is also a speaker and the host of The Dealer Playbook podcast.

In this episode…

What drives success in the automotive space? How can dealerships engage with customers more effectively? 

According to Michael Cirillo, you should focus on your people and processes to build a successful dealership. It’s critical to set well-defined expectations with your team to ensure they understand their roles. Michael advises dealerships to stay up to date with trends in the automotive industry, establish an optimal strategy, and understand their customers’ buying habits. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by Michael Cirillo, the Co-founder and CEO of FlexDealer, to discuss tips for driving success in the automotive space. They also talk about future challenges in the automotive industry, best practices for providing customer service in dealerships, and why dealerships should focus on processes.

Yaron Saghiv is the Chief Marketing Officer at UVeye, a computer vision tech company that develops automated inspection systems for vehicles powered by artificial intelligence and proprietary hardware. He is part of the senior executive team leading UVeye's efforts to disrupt and automate the vehicle scanning industry using AI and working with world-class car manufacturers like Volvo and Toyota. 

Yaron is a growth hacking expert and entrepreneur with over 14 years of experience in B2B and B2C startups in Israel, the UK, Singapore, and the US. Over the years, he has led talks, workshops, and speeches around growth hacking based on products, APIs, public relations, and affiliation methods.

In this episode…

In the ever-evolving automotive space, there are a number of techniques dealerships can employ to stay relevant and provide top-notch customer experiences. So, how can you utilize AI-powered technology to improve service deliveries and satisfy market demands? 

To provide quality products for customers, UVeye has leveraged AI and visual aid in its business operations. This has allowed the company to diversify its services and transition from serving homeland security to assisting OEMs, car manufacturers, and dealers. This technology has also created opportunities for the company to enter new markets in Europe, Asia, and the US.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by Yaron Saghiv, the Chief Marketing Officer at UVeye, to talk about providing car manufacturers and dealers with AI-powered vehicle inspections. They also discuss the difference between the US and Israeli car markets, future challenges and trends in the automotive space, and UVeye's recent award from Automotive News.

Ally Piñon is the Digital Marketing Director at Chastang Automotive Group, which includes Chastang Ford and Chastang Autocar. She has more than a decade of B2B and B2C marketing experience in the automotive industry. Throughout her career, she has managed and supported strategic efforts in brand reputation, advertising, content development, social media marketing, research and planning, community partnerships, creative agency, and vend

In this episode…

Are you struggling to market your dealership effectively? What can you do to streamline your marketing processes and become more profitable?

To create authentic and engaging marketing messages, understanding your dealership's goals is essential. An in-house marketing team helps identify and align a dealership's needs with customers’ needs. However, concentrating on sales alone is not an effective long-term strategy. B2B and B2C marketing expert Ally Piñon says to focus on marketing, sales, service, and parts. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by Ally Piñon, the Digital Marketing Director at Chastang Automotive Group, to talk about in-house marketing for the automotive industry. Ally discusses B2B marketing tips, bridging the gap between marketing, automotive sales, and fixed ops, and her future marketing plans.

Ally Piñon is the Digital Marketing Director at Chastang Automotive Group, which includes Chastang Ford and Chastang Autocar. She has more than a decade of B2B and B2C marketing experience in the automotive industry. Throughout her career, she has managed and supported strategic efforts in brand reputation, advertising, content development, social media marketing, research and planning, community partnerships, creative agency, and vend

In this episode…

Are you struggling to market your dealership effectively? What can you do to streamline your marketing processes and become more profitable?

To create authentic and engaging marketing messages, understanding your dealership's goals is essential. An in-house marketing team helps identify and align a dealership's needs with customers’ needs. However, concentrating on sales alone is not an effective long-term strategy. B2B and B2C marketing expert Ally Piñon says to focus on marketing, sales, service, and parts. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay is joined by Ally Piñon, the Digital Marketing Director at Chastang Automotive Group, to talk about in-house marketing for the automotive industry. Ally discusses B2B marketing tips, bridging the gap between marketing, automotive sales, and fixed ops, and her future marketing plans.

Joe Overby is the Senior Editor of Auto Remarketing and Auto Remarketing Canada at Cherokee Media Group, which publishes leading B2B digital and custom media. He is also the co-host of the Auto Remarketing podcast. Joe is a member of the agenda team for Cherokee Media Group's Automotive Events and Conferences, where he serves as a Panel Moderator.

In this episode…

There have been a lot of changes in the automotive space in terms of technology, consumer preferences, and soaring vehicle prices. So, where can you receive the latest news to stay informed of industry changes? 

Having spent 15 years working and reporting in the automotive space, Joe Overby has witnessed the industry's evolution. He has seen small companies grow to become publicly traded, taken part in publishing top industry news through Auto Remarketing, and experienced the effects of the pandemic on car prices. He joins Ilana Shabtay to share his insights on the automotive space.

In this episode of the InsideAuto podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Joe Overby, the Senior Editor of Auto Remarketing and Auto Remarketing Canada at Cherokee Media Group, about the biggest automotive news published over the years. They also discuss shifts in used and new car prices, Used Car Week, and electronic vehicle tax credits.

Brian Ortega is the Creative Director and Social Media Manager at Valley Hi Toyota. He is responsible for marketing, design, photography, video production, and maintaining the dealership's social media. Before joining the automotive industry, Brian worked for the American Forces Network for over 13 years. He is a proud graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a BA in film studies. 

Nathanael Greklek is the Chief Digital Branding Leader at Mohawk Honda Dealership. He is passionate about leadership, culture, and branding and helps dealerships, collision centers, and salespeople brand themselves. Nathanael is an expert in marketing strategy, creating video ads, social media marketing and engagement, and personal branding.

Jeff Revilla is the Digital Marketing Director at Smail Auto Group, where he directs the company's digital footprint across multiple platforms. He is an award-winning digital marketer with over 20 years of experience and has been recognized five times by Reputation.com as a Top 100 dealer. For six consecutive quarters, Jeff has been ranked in the top 1% of 1,300 Honda and Acura dealers for an independent digital marketing evaluation. He is also a podcaster, virtual event producer, and founding member of AutoGenius.

In this episode…

Engaging content is crucial in generating customers for your dealership. So, what strategies can you leverage to create impactful content? 

The best type of content has to create value to your audience. According to Nathanael Greklek, Brian Ortega, and Jeff Revilla, it’s essential to produce and share content that strategically meets your clientele where they are. Good content is well-structured and helps build connections with your audience. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Brian Ortega, Jeff Revilla, and Nathanael Greklek about tips for creating relatable content. They share strategies for leveraging content to create value for customers, promoting content on social media, and the benefits of management in the content production process.

Erin Sparks is the Marketing Director of DeNooyer Automotive Family in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She has nearly 15 years of marketing experience and is responsible for the function and performance of DeNooyer's website, analytics, digital and traditional advertising, social media, and public outreach.

Erin also manages the group's marketing team and helps to lead the service business development department. Originally from Wisconsin, she is a former college volleyball player and frequent party planner. She is also a Founding Member of Auto Genius.

In this episode…

Managing the marketing needs of different dealerships in a group can be challenging. Each store could have its own unique processes for managing operations, sales, customers, and competition. Strategies that work in one dealership may not work in a different dealership.

Having spent many years working in both the vendor and agency side of the automotive space, Erin Sparks understands what it takes to create content and implement marketing strategies that drive change. She advises dealerships to use marketing strategies that are respectful to clients.

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay sits down with Erin Sparks, the Marketing Director of DeNooyer Automotive Family, to talk about strategies for streamlining marketing across different automotive stores. Erin also talks about being a member of the Auto Genius community and the future of the automotive space in 2023.

Ido Elad is the Director of Product Management at AutoLeadStar, a B2B and B2C customer data and experience platform. He has been with the company for over seven years and is based in Tel Aviv, AutoLeadStar's new office. Ido leads the company’s product managers and UX/UI designers in building its core products. 

In this episode…

How well do you leverage your existing CRM to engage with your clients? Is your messaging personalized and targeted to your specific audience?

Technology has made it easier for car dealerships to build automation to attract, support, and engage with clients. Yet, according to Ido Elad, dealerships only leverage between 15 and 20% of their CRMs, causing them to lose profit. Audience automation compiles data from each source and manually creates audiences so dealerships can manage their CRMs efficiently. 

In this episode of the InsideAuto Podcast, Ilana Shabtay interviews Ido Elad, the Director of Product Management at AutoLeadStar, about audience automation and strategies for driving client engagements. They also discuss how AutoLeadStar’s new platform, Nurture, helps solve automation problems, common concerns dealerships have about automation, and AutoLeadStar's future plans for Nurture.